The content of the article:
- Where does the money go
- Is it possible to save on fuel
- How to save money on scheduled vehicle maintenance
- How to save money on repairs
- How to save money on insurance
- What else can you save on
The difficult situation in the automotive market associated with foreign policy and the unstable exchange rate, the systematic rise in the cost of consumables, fuel and spare parts, the rise in the price tag for the services of insurance companies and other factors make the use of a car costly: most of the income goes to its maintenance.
Are there effective ways to save money and how much can you really cut costs? What measures can be taken to reduce costs?
Where does the money go
Buying a car, you can put a point at the beginning of the calculation of costs and expenses for its maintenance and operation:
- Scheduled and urgent repairs;
- Fuels and lubricants;
- Oils and filters;
- Antifreeze;
- Spare parts;
- Liability Insurance…
And a dozen more points. It will not be possible to completely avoid costs, but adjusting them downward is quite a feasible task.
Let's make a reservation right away what you shouldn't save on:
- Cheap service technical fluids - oils, antifreeze and others - from an unknown supplier can not only help save money, but also "kill" the brake system, gearbox or the "heart" of the vehicle - its engine. Therefore, it is better to choose a well-known brand.
- Brake pads - the foundation of safe driving. Analogues of Chinese production are presented on the market, but you should not chase after cheapness, because if they crumble during operation, an accident with serious consequences cannot be avoided.
- Overhaul of automatic transmission, manual transmission or internal combustion engine - it is definitely required to be done by qualified specialists, because these are technically complex elements on which the safe operation of the vehicle and its behavior in road conditions largely depend.
Is it possible to save on fuel
The average annual mileage of a car is from 20 to 30 thousand kilometers, in gasoline equivalent, this is a huge amount. We are now in no way calling for a change in driving style, but some simple rules can significantly save on this cost item:
- Monitor the tire pressure: if it deviates from the normal value, fuel consumption increases by 7% for every 100 km of track.
- Plugged spark plugs or installed with backlash contribute to a 7% increase in gas mileage.
- Replace the air filter and clean the injectors in a timely manner - if they are unsatisfactory, the consumption increases by 20%, and in the long term leads to a breakdown of the car.
- An increase in the load on the internal combustion engine by electric consumers increases the consumption of gasoline by 30%. You can reduce costs by eliminating the backlight, charging gadgets, air conditioning, navigator or radio.
- Prolonged heating of the internal combustion engine leads to increased consumption. According to experts, 2-3 minutes of idling is enough, and you can start driving at low speeds.
- As for a car with a manual transmission, in low gears, the engine gives high revs, uneconomically consuming gasoline, so gears should be changed taking into account the speed.
- If the vehicle can run on 92 gasoline, fuel with a higher octane number should be abandoned, because the quality of the internal combustion engine does not depend on it. The difference between the prices for brands, for example, AI92 and AI95, is up to 7%.
- Choose high-quality filling stations from leading suppliers - this can solve two problems at once: firstly, do not worry about the quality of gasoline, and secondly, all large companies develop special loyalty programs, using which you can save from 5 to 10% on filling.
If you follow these simple rules, you can reduce up to 20-30% of monthly fuel costs.
How to save money on scheduled vehicle maintenance
The amount of expenses for scheduled maintenance from authorized dealers can leave a significant gap in the budget, which will have to be covered for at least a month - many cannot immediately give such significant funds. However, you can prepare for maintenance in advance.
Carefully study the service book and the warranty maintenance agreement - modern trends in service by dealerships prescribe many points, among which the following are the most important:
- The ability to independently purchase spare parts and install them on the vehicle without canceling the warranty;
- Possibility of installing non-original components and spare parts.
What will it give? The cost of consumables in dealerships is often overpriced, and an average of 20 to 30% can be saved by buying familiar motor and transmission oils at retail auto dealerships. In addition, dealers often have an agreement with certain suppliers, so in a third-party store, sellers will help you choose a cheaper, but not inferior in quality analogue from a lesser-known brand or a well-established domestic manufacturer, whose products have certificates of conformity and a similar chemical composition.
In addition, you should not change the lighting lamps at the dealer: their prices are an order of magnitude higher, but they do not differ from those that you can buy in a regular store and change in an ordinary car service or replace yourself.
How to save money on car repairs
If the vehicle is removed from the warranty, it makes no sense to cooperate with official dealers, since all prices for their services are significantly overpriced. Therefore, you should pay attention to inexpensive car services. Where to find them?
Naturally, those in garages will not suit your car. However, there is the Internet at hand, and each model has a fan club: numerous forums on the network of your city will tell you where to go, and which service is better to bypass - in such threads, reviews of real car owners are much more honest.
Well, almost every salon today has a corporate website. It is not necessary to carry out all the work in one of them: in one of them, you can change the oil, in the other, you can overhaul the engine, in the third, turn the wheels over and make the wheel alignment.
In addition, it will not be superfluous to learn how to perform basic operations for which you will not need to pay car services. This is a replacement:
- oils;
- filters;
- spark plugs;
- lighting lamps.
The instruction manual for your vehicle will help to master these simple operations - such detailed instructions are attached to each car.
Many motorists will be happy to share their experience with you and tell you in what order to perform these operations - this will help save a lot of money.
How to save money on car insurance
The bulk of people are accustomed to keeping all documents received from official authorities - take advantage of this by presenting policies and contracts for past periods for liability insurance - a good story will help you save up to 10%: for the first year of accident-free driving, OSAGO gives a 5% discount, and for 2 years - ten%.
Use insurance with a deductible: the policy discount will be from 5 to 40%. The larger the deductible - the part of the loss that the insurer does not assume - the greater the discount. This is convenient if minor damage has occurred during operation, which the owner will cope with himself - they do not require the registration of insurance papers and allow avoiding bureaucratic formalities.
Some companies offer discounts for paying the entire amount under the insurance contract - you can save up to 5%. But you can take advantage of another offer by taking a 50/50 installment plan or four payments of 25% each. This is beneficial for those with a limited and planned family budget.
The installation of an alarm, high-quality rubber and other means of protecting property affects the loyalty of the insurer: when inspecting and concluding a contract, you will be offered a discount of up to 10%.
Also, for experienced motorists with more than 2 years of experience, policies are significantly cheaper than for newly licensed ones.
A wide range of insurance programs allows you to choose the required insurance risks: for example, only an accident, without insurance against theft. Browse the Internet for suggestions - for sure there is an optimal solution for your case.
If you are an employee of a large corporation, find out if your company uses the services of a particular insurer: special insurance rates are usually developed for employees, and there are no problems with payments for them.
Many insurers offer comprehensive insurance - not only auto, but also life, and real estate can be insured in one place at reasonable prices. There are often seasonal discounts and promotions.
What else can you save on
Some people prefer to save money on parking in a parking lot or parking lot - leaving your car on the street can save from 2,000 to 30,000 rubles a month. However, one should be prepared for numerous risks - a lack of parking spaces or their absence in the yard of the house, actions of intruders who can steal, steal or damage a car.
You can also save money on the car wash. Naturally, the washing itself is necessary in order to wash off sediments, chemicals and road reagents from the body, which cause corrosion of metal parts and destruction of the paintwork. And if you do not have the opportunity to wash your car yourself in the city center, you can use the services of a self-service car wash. Against the standard cleaning of a vehicle for 300-1500 rubles, the average check in a self-service car wash is 120-150 rubles, where in 10 minutes you can quite adequately wash the car with special high-pressure equipment and professional automotive chemicals, as well as use a post with a vacuum cleaner to clean the interior.
Another item of expense is washer fluid, which can be made at home.: for a 5 liter isopropyl alcohol canister, take ordinary water (in the same proportion) and mix, plus any chlorine-free dishwashing detergent - 20 g for every 5 liters. The price of the issue is about 700 rubles, the output is 10 liters of liquid with a freezing threshold of -20 ° C. For higher temperatures, the amount of isopropanol decreases proportionally, for low temperatures it increases.
By the way, buying a cheap anti-freeze on the highway - for 100 rubles - is highly discouraged, since its composition will not tell you anything at best, and it can freeze at the most inopportune moment - after all, it all depends on the concentration of the active substance.
Conclusion
No matter how trite it may sound, but one of the most effective ways to save money is to change the driving style from aggressive to calm - this saves up to 1.5 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers. But those who do not like this recommendation should use the tips outlined above. You should pay attention to the fact that they all require a serious approach and calculation of how appropriate it will be for your car.
